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My insides crumble. I knew she was struggling. It’s been impossible not to notice her quiet spells and the look on her face when yet another post or video pops up on social media. I’ve tried to shield her from it, show her how much she means to me, but I can’t protect her from everything, and it kills me.
“Where is she now?” I ask.
Liam tips his head toward the door. “I brought her to practice with me. Figured she could study in the stands or something. They can’t get to her here.”
I flash him a grateful smile and head for the door. The guys make a clear pathway for me, all appreciating my need to get to her, but I’m blocked before I can even reach the doors.
Jason crosses his arms, barring my way. “We’ve got practice. You can deal with your love life later.”
I’m about to shove him back with a few harsh words when Coach steps in behind him.
“Okay, guys, let’s get on the ice.” He claps his hands.
“I just need to see?—”
“Ice, Galloway! We’re already running late. Get your ass out there. Whatever it is can wait until after practice.”
“It really can’t,” I try to argue, but the look on his face leaves me zero room for argument.
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, knowing I can’t muscle my way past Coach just to give my girl a kiss, to touch her face, look in her eyes, reassure myself that she’s okay, tell her I’d never cheat on her.
Coach is a hard-ass, and he’d never understand.
So I spin with a scowl, ignoring Jason’s snicker, and head for the rink.
As soon as my skates hit the ice, I look into the stands for Mikayla.
She’s halfway up the bleachers, huddled against the cold. Liam’s jacket is around her shoulders, which pisses me off, because it should be my jacket.
Dammit, why didn’t I go to the library today?
Gliding across the ice, I raise my stick at her. She gives me a small smile and waves back, so I blow her a kiss off my glove. That makes her smile a little wider, and that tightness in my chest starts to ease.
I should be grateful that I’ve got a team ready to protect my girl when she needs it.
And I am.
I’m grateful Liam was there today, but it’s up to me to make sure she understands that those girls were lying. Choosing me over them wasn’t a mistake. I’m not going anywhere, and my eyes aren’t wandering either.
No one can hold a candle to my lil’ mouse.
She’s it.
She’s everything.
CHAPTER53
MIKAYLA
Ethan’s skating like a demon this practice, which means Liam must have told him about the library incident. I knew he would, so there was no point asking him not to say anything. When he wrapped his jacket around me, then headed off to the locker room, it was inevitable.
Ethan will want to talk about it, and I’m trying to prep myself for that.
Part of me wants to forget it.
So those girls got a little mouthy. Big deal.
I can brush that off.
